Mayor Greg Ballard (seen with wife Winnie last month) is continuing to raise funds. But the two-term mayor hasn't said whether he's planning to seek another term.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard continues to build his war chest for a possible third term.

The two-term Republican is holding a big-ticket fundraiser on Oct. 1 at the Lucas Estate in Carmel that could raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cheap seats are $100 and premium seats are going for $5,000 a couple.

Marion County GOP Chairman Kyle Walker said Ballard sent out "a couple thousand" invitations. But he cautioned against reading too much into the fundraiser, saying Ballard hasn't decided whether to run for re-election in 2015.

"It's not signaling that he has decided to run for a third term, although it does signal he's maintaining a viable campaign should he choose to run," Walker said.

Should Ballard decide to seek a third term, he could become just the second mayor, after Bill Hudnut, to win a third term. Hudnut, a Republican, served four terms as mayor, from 1976 to 1992, making him Indianapolis' longest-serving mayor.

Ballard has had other fundraisers since winning re-election in 2011. He holds a golf outing every year along with a large fundraising dinner. He also hosts a series of small dinners with donors.

Ballard was first elected in 2007 by defeating incumbent Democrat Bart Peterson, then won re-election four years later over Democratic challenger Melina Kennedy.

So does Walker expect Ballard to run?

"It's obviously his decision to make, and it's not something he has decided yet," Walker said. "But should he decide to run for a third term, I'd be estatic."

Will Pence support Amtrak's daily service to Chicago?

If Gov. Mike Pence's past votes are any indication, Amtrak supporters probably should not count on him to lend much help in their fight to save daily service after federal funding ends on Oct. 1.

Amtrak's seven-day service from Indianapolis to Chicago will be cut to three days a week unless the state comes up with a plan to replace a $4-million-a-year federal subsidy.

Pence has not said if he supports using state money on Amtrak, but his days in Congress prove he was not a fan of using federal tax money to support the rail service.

Pence, a Republican, voted to slash funding for Amtrak at least twice when he represented Indiana in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2011.

In June 2008, Pence voted against a measure that reauthorized Amtrak funding. The bill passed the House 311-104.

In February 2011, Pence voted in favor of a measure that would have cut Amtrak's funding. That measure failed 176-250.

Former rural development chief lands job in Whitestown

Indiana's former rural development chief, who resigned suddenly last month, has landed a new job.

Dax Norton is expected to begin Monday as the new town manager in Whitestown, said Julie Whitman, a town councilwoman.

Norton stepped down as director of the state's Office of Community and Rural Affairs on Aug. 29, less than nine months after he was appointed by Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann. The agency's deputy director, Jon Craig, quit the same day. Both men submitted brief, handwritten resignations.

State officials have declined to discuss the circumstances of their departures or whether they were asked to resign. Norton said in an emailed statement that he resigned in good standing, but he did not respond to additional questions about his departure.

"My time with state government was profitable, and I look forward to future endeavors," he said.

Norton is familiar with the Whitestown area. He lives in nearby Zionsville and previously led Boone County's economic development efforts.

Whitman said she couldn't provide salary details for Norton because a contract had not yet been signed. He earned $90,000 leading OCRA.

"I can't speak to the reasons for his departure," she said. "I know he left in good standing and he's excited to come back to his hometown."

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Behind Closed Doors: Mayor Greg Ballard plans fundraiser but still mum on bid for third term

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard continues to build his war chest for a possible third term.